Morning journal and courier., 1887-01-28
HARTFORD xEsTEnDAx.

County Commissioners to be Looked
After-A Bill to Repeal Soldiers Tax
Exemption Law-The Shepaug Rail
road-A Counter PetitiOn-Tax Coma
missIonera' RepOrt-ProPOsed Tax
Reform-Business Before the Labor
And Contested Election Committees.
HARTFORD, Jan. 81.
Especial to the JOURNAL AND CoUR1ER.l
The largest batch of business since the
session began was to-day transacted by the
States lawmakers. Early in the session
Representative King of Naugatuck caused
quite surprise by advocating the passage of
resolution raising committee Of one rep
resentative from each county to at once make
an inquiry into the alleged illegal taking Of
fees by county commissioners. The House
ordered committee of investigation with
power to send for persons and papers to re-
port whether the county commissioners have
really collected such fees It is understood
that in some of the counties the commission
ers have charged from 81 to 81 so for making
out the bond of a licensed person. This action
is not authorized by law and there has been
considerable displeasure manifested at their
illegal taking, the outcome of which is the
appointing of the committee of investigation.
The Shepaug road by its counsel, Simeon
E. Baldwin of New Haven, petitioned the
legislature early in the session for relief from
the refusal of the holders of $780, 900 of
its first mortgage bonds to trans
mute that value into preferred
stock. In 1888 the legislature authorized
the conversion, and the petition is to compel
the bondholders to comply with the law. A
petition has been placed on file in the Score
tary of States Office wherein Edward Nc
Neill, of Litch6eld, and other first mortgage
bondholders of the Shepaug road ask the
General Assembly to incorporate them as the
Shepaug railroad company, in the event of
the foreclosure proceedings on the defaulted
first mortgage bonds of the road now pend
ing in Litohfeld. The petition is counter
move against Counsel Simeon E. Baldwin.
The petition was gotten up by the bondhold-
ers who have refused to refund, and whom
the railroad seeks to compel to comply with
their demands.
The report of the commission on the re-
vision of the statutes was submitted to the
Senate to day. The bill accompanying was
referred to the judiciary committee. With
the report was the report of the commission
appointed to make the changes in the stat
utes necessary to conform them to biennial
sessions. The amendments, which are numer-
Gus, principally extend all one year terms to
two and all three to four.
The various departments make annual re-
ports as now but to the Governor. The
committee on State library is to be biennally
appointed. The Governor is to appoint the
State prison commission. The appoint
ments made shall, so far as practicable,
be of a non-partisan character. The Cover
nor alone shall appoint the trustees of the
hospital for the insane. but the Reform
school trustees are still to be appointed by
the Senate. The Senate shall act on the
nominations by the Governor within ten
days after they are made.
The report of the State tax commission
was submitted to the General Assembly to-
day. The commission is Mayor of New Ha-
ven Samuel A. York, Isaac w. Brooks, Smith
P. Glover, Morris F. Tyler, Ira D. Bates,
VIVA. c. Robinson, Simeon E. Baldwin, Chas.
H. Clark, Nathaniel Wheeler. The commits
sion recommends six important acts in their
exhaustive report. The first is for the ap-
pointment every four years of tax commits
| sioner, who shall at least once during his
| term visit every town and examine as to the
| justice of its methods. He is to make an
| annual report to the General Assembly. The
| second act provides principally that every
| application for charter for any business
| corporation having capital stock shall be
accompanied by 500; that before beginning
| business it shall pay to the State treasurer
| tax of one tenth of one per cent on the par
value of all shares of its capital stock actual
i ly subscribed for or issued The third act
provides that such business corporation lex
cept such as are exempt of law, and railroad,
express, telegraph and telephone companies,
now taxed on capital stock shall, beginning
/ March /, 1885, pay fax upon it's corporate
| franchise of one hftieth of one per cent. on
the total par value of all shares of its capital
| stock, actually substituted for or issued
A 10 tot nj 1na To hA
January 10 to the tax comm issioner, and ar
rears to be recovered in suit.
The fourth act seeks only to improve the
| machinery for the collection of this tax. The
other two acts limited space prohibits. US
from printing, but relate to the proposed
abolition of the State tax upon certain classes
of personal and other property. The COM
mission reports unfavorably on all other bills
and papers (eight in number) referred to them
by the General Assembly.
LEGISLATIVE NOTES.
The Barkhamsted election case came up
to- day Justiss Hotchkiss and other persons,
residents of the town, testified before the
committee.
The labor committee met this afternoon
and considered the weekly payment bill and
the bill exsmpting wages from attachment.
Senator Chapman was present and addressed
the committee. The hearing went over.
The committee on humane institutions and
APPROPRIATIONS Went TO the REFORM SCHOOL To-
day on their annual visit.
Below is a summary of the business of the
session in detail:
The Senate.
The Senate was called to order by Senator
Walsh, president pro tenn, and prayer was
offered by the chaplain.
Referred to incorporations-A resolution
incorporating the Middletown Wheel club;
introduced by Senator Coffin.
Referred to incorporations-A resolution
incorporating the Schuyler Electric Manufac-
turing company; introduced by Senator
Hyde.
Referred-A resolution appointing Royal
NJ. Bassett and John B. Quillinan, of Derby,
and S. L. Smith, of Orange, commissioners
of the New Haven and Derby Turnpike COM
pany; introduced by Senator Graham.
Passed-A resolution appointing E. D.
Robbins member of the State board of ed
ucation fer four years from July 1, 1887 in
troduced by Senator Bailey.
Passed in concurrence-A resolution ap-
pointing Edwin s. White assistant judge of
the Hartford police court.
The report of the school tax commission
was presented by Senator Bates.
Referred to humane institutions commit
tee-Ihe seventeenth annual report of the
Connecticut Industrial school for girls.
Referred to same-The annual report of
the Connecticut Hospital for the Insane.
Referred to judiciary-The commission ap
pointed in 1885 to revise the statutes pre-
scented q revision, copies of which were fur
nished to the senators. The report was re-
ferred to the Judiciary committee.
Referred to judiciary-Bill making obliga-
tory instead of optional the holding of special
town meetings when demanded by twenty
voters; introduced by Senator Kirkham.
Referred-Bill that New Britain shall
within foar years adopt system of sewerage
which shall remove the impurities of the
sewage before its discharge into Piper's
brook; introduced by Senator Kirkham.
Referred to education-A bill providing
for furnishing textbooks to pupils of the
public schools; introduced by Senator Hall
Referred to State prison-Bill for the ap-
pointment of a Jail commissioner at 81 900
per annum to visit the jails of the State
monthly and investigate their condition, the
employment of prisoners. ETC.; introduced by
Senator Kirkham.
Referred to education--Bill that annual
school district meetings shall be held on the
third Tuesday of July instead of during
the month of June, introduced by Senator